Article hanging storage apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for the compact storage in hanging position of large flat articles, such as plat maps. Said apparatus comprises extruded plate members of the length of such articles and of a width to have a plurality of longitudinal open bottom grooves therein with said grooves having a keyhole like configuration and being closely spaced together with the upper portions of said grooves being in vertically offset or staggered relation and hangers carrying said articles being slidably disposable in said grooves and having portions to be retained in the upper portions of said grooves, said plate members comprising modular hanger supporting members which may be secured to a supporting surface such as the upper inner surface of a storage cabinet.

United States Patent [191 Brisson et al.

[ ARTICLE HANGING STORAGE APPARATUS [75] Inventors: Claude F. Brisson; John E. Schuna,

both of St. Paul, Minn.

[73] Assignee: United Binding Company, Inc., St.

Paul, Minn.

[22] Filed: Aug. 27, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 175,608

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 831,398, June 6,

1969, abandoned.

[ Mar. 26, 1974 Primary Examiner-Harland S, Skogquist Attorney, Agent, or FirmReif and Gregory I [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for the compact storage in hanging position of large flat articles, such as plat maps. Said apparatus comprises extruded plate members of the length of such articles and of a width to have a plurality of longitudinal open bottom grooves therein with said grooves having a keyhole like configuration and being closely spaced together with the upper portions of said grooves being in vertically offset or staggered relation and hangers carrying said articles being slidably disposable in said grooves and having portions to be retained in the upper portions of said grooves, said plate members comprising modular hanger supporting members which may be secured to a supporting surface such as the upper inner surface of a storage cabinet.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures Ill/Ill ARTICLE HANGING STORAGE APPARATUS BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This is aco ntinuation-in-part of US Patent Application S.N. 831,398 filed June 6, 1969, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in storage apparatus for hanging large flat articles such as plat maps in a simple and unusual compact hanger arrangement.

Art of interest known is US Pat. No. 321,164 to West issued June 30, 1885. The patent to West comprises spaced bars or a formed metal strip to provide channels having bottom openings of reduced width to receive files in the form of rods having newspapers depending therefrom. The text of the patent also indicates grooves of like cross sectional configuration which may be cut from a solid plank, but there is no indication here of a concept or structure to provide a configuration resulting in the compact space saving arrangement for hanging articles which comprises the invention herein.

The improvement represented by the invention herein consists of an extruded solid plate member as a module having a plurality of keyhole like grooves formed therein having enlarged upper passage portions and lower or shank portions having reduced width and with alternate of said grooves being of shorter length than the remainder whereby the upper passage portions thereof are spaced in a vertically offset or staggered relationship to have said grooves closer together than would otherwise be possible. Hangers holding the articles are particularly formed to have portions retained within said grooves and depending portions of lesser width slidably disposed within said shank portions of said grooves. Said hangers are adapted to carryenvelope like containers in hung position.

It is an object of this invention therefore to provide a modular device for hanging large flat articles whereby said articles may be carried in closely spaced relation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a member comprising a plate having a plurality of keyhole like grooves formed therein with the enlarged upper portions of said grooves being disposed in vertically staggered relation to be closely spaced across the width thereof.

It is also an object of this invention to provide hangers supporting large flat articles, said hangers having integral therewith depending means to carry said articles and said hangers being slidably receivable in closely spaced relation in a supporting member.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which FIG. 1 is a view in perspective on a reduced scale with some portions being broken away showing the invention herein in operating position;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 as indicated;

FIG. 3 is a broken view in vertical section on an enlarged scale showing a detail of structure;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in front elevation in full scale;

FIG. 5 is a broken view in perspective showing a detail of structure on a reduced scale;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view showing a detail in front elevation; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary composite view showing a detail of structure in front elevation and in bottom plan.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A conventional type of cabinet is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 comprising a top wall 11, side walls 12, doors l3 and a rear wall 14. Present on the leading edge of the top wall is an index strip having indicia thereon for file reference purposes.

Shown carried on the inner side of the top wall 11 is a modular unit 18 comprising a plate-like hanger supporting member. Said member may be readily formed of extruded aluminum of a length to accommodate articles to be held thereby and of a suitable modular width. Several of said members 18 may be carried within a cabinet such as said cabinet 10 and be suitably secured therein as by the use of an adhesive.

Said member 18 is conveniently extruded to have formed therein grooves 20 and 23 here shown that may be generally described as having a keyhole like configuration in cross section. Said grooves respectively have upper passage portions 21 and 24 and extending downwardly therefrom are open bottom shank portions 22 and 25. Said shank portions are of narrower width than are said upper passage portions and are shown being of uniform width. Said grooves 20 and 23 are identical with the exception that the shank portions 22 have a lesser height than the shank portions 25. As illustrated, alternate of said shank portions are of lesser length than the remainder thereof. Hence the upper passage portions 21 and 24 are disposed across said modular unit 18 in closely spaced vertically staggered relation, as indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5. This vertically staggered or offset relation of the upper hole portions makes possible a compact space saving arrangement permitting the shank portions to be brought closer together than would otherwise be possible.

Said passage portions are here shown being formed as indicated with respect to passage 24 in FIG. 6 wherein said passage has a curved upper wall 26, substantially straight side wall portions 27 and substantially flat horizontal shoulder portions 28 which terminate in the walls 29 which define the shank portion 25. The horizontal shoulders form a good bearing surface with respect to the hangers hereinafter described.

Said grooves 20 and 23 for filing reference purposes are shown bearing indicia 27, as indicated in FIG. 4, and such indicia will correspond to like indicia carried by the index strip 15.

Various forms of hangers may be used in connection with said hanger supporting member to be carried within said grooves. One such form of a hanger is indicated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 7 wherein hanger 30 is shown comprising generally a rectangular frame having an upper bar 31, a lower bar 32, and connecting end bars or portions 33. Said upper bar will be of a size and configuration in cross section to be readily received and retained within the passage portions 21 and 24. The lower bar will support articles therefrom. The connecting end bars 33 will be of small thickness or width as to be readily slidably disposed within said shank portions 22 and 25.

In connection with said hanger 30 is a transparent envelope 36 formed of suitable thin sheet plastic material to retain therein articles 40, such as plat maps. Said envelopes have a very small thickness and somewhat less than the width of said shank portions 22 and 25. Said envelopes in connection with said closely spaced grooves lend themselves to a compact hanging arrangement. It is not necessary to remove articles from said envelopes for inspection as they may be clearly seen through the walls of said envelopes. Thus said articles therein may be free from being engaged by hand. Said envelopes will be provided with a conventional slide fastener which is merely indicated here by the reference numeral 37.

Said envelope 36 may be variously secured to said hanger 30 and is here shown having an upper portion 38 thereof folded about the bar 32 and sealed upon itself to form a closed loop about said bar.

In practice it has been found that for practical purposes a modular unit 18 having grooves therein is very satisfactory for use. Such a unit will have a width of 4 inches as shown in full scale in FIG. 4. Thus 20 hangers are carried in compact arrangement within a small space. A cabinet of only 36 inches in width may have stored therein 180 plat maps. Plat maps are generally bound in book form which are bulky to handle and take considerable shelf space.

A hanger may be readily removed from the hanger supporting member 18 and a map may be studied while contained within the envelope 36. Notes may be penciled on the envelope with reference to the map therein and readily wiped off. The map will have indefinite life in not being touched by hand.

The stored articles 40 are retained very nicely in upright position within said envelope 36. In practice the invention as disclosed herein has been very satisfactory and results in a substantial saving of storage space and contributes materially to a longer useful life of stored articles with particular reference to plat maps.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in form, details arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention herein which, generally stated, consists in an apparatus capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. A storage apparatus for hanging flat articles having in combination,

a hanger supporting member comprising an elongated block-likev member having formed therein longitudinally thereof a plurality of open bottom grooves spaced thereacross, said grooves having upper passage portions and lower passage portions of a narrower width than that of said upper passage portions and extending downwardly therefrom, said lower passage portions forming shank portions of said grooves, alternate of said shank portions having a lesser length than the remainder thereof and being closely spaced together, said upper passage portions being staggered in vertical relation with respect to one another whereby said grooves are more closely spaced together than said upper passages would permit in co-planar transverse alignment, means comprising hanger members slidably disposed within said grooves to be respectively retained thereby and having portions depending therefrom,

said hanger members each comprising an upper bar respectively receivable and retainable within said upper passage portions of said grooves,

a lower bar spaced from each of said upper bars,

means connecting said upper and lower bars, said means being slidably receivable within said shank portions of said grooves, and

envelopes of small thickness being respectively carried by said lower bars of said hangers, said envelopes having an upper end portion folded over said lower bar to be sealed upon itself and form a closed loop. 

1. A storage apparatus for hanging flat articles having in combination, a hanger supporting member comprising an elongated block-like member having formed therein longitudinally thereof a plurality of open bottom grooves spaced thereacross, said grooves having upper passage portions and lower passage portions of a narrower width than that of said upper passage portions and extending downwardly therefrom, said lower passage portions forming shank portions of said grooves, alternate of said shank portions having a lesser length than the remainder thereof and being closely spaced together, said upper passage portions being staggered in vertical relation with respect to one another whereby said grooves are more closely spaced together than said upper passages would permit in coplanar transverse alignment, means comprising hanger members slidably disposed within said grooves to be respectively retained thereby and having portions depending therefrom, said hanger members each comprising an upper bar respectively receivable and retainable within said upper passage portions of said grooves, a lower bar spaced from each of said upper bars, means connecting said upper and lower bars, said means being slidably receivable within said shank portions of said grooves, and envelopes of small thickness being respectively carried by said lower bars of said hangers, said envelopes having an upper end portion folded over said lower bar to be sealed upon itself and form a closed loop. 